Lattice lemon-meringue tarts - country living

4 tarts

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 cup Unsifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Poppy seeds
½ cup Water
⅓ cup Lemon juice
½ cup Sugar
3 tablespoons Cornstarch
2 Large egg whites
¼ teaspoon Cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon Salt
6 tablespoons Butter or margarine, chilled
2 To 3 T cold water
1 teaspoon Grated lemon rind
2 Large egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
1 tablespoon Butter
3 tablespoons Sugar

Directions

TART SHELLS

LEMON FILLING

MERINGUE

1. Prepare Tart Shells: In medium-size bowl, combine flour, sugar, poppy seeds, and salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, 1 T at a time, until mixture holds together. Form into 4 balls.

2. Heat oven to 400'F. On floured surface, roll out each ball to a 5-inch round. Fit each round into a 4-inch fluted-tart pan with removable bottom. Trim off excess pastry. With tines of fork, pierce bottoms and sides of pastry. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned. (Pastry will shrink a little.) Cool shells in pans on wire rack.

3. Prepare Lemon Filling: In 2-quart saucepan, combine water, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon rind. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, over medium heat. Cook 3 minutes longer or until mixture boils and thickens.

4. In medium-size bowl, beat yolks. Slowly beat in hot lemon mixture; pour all back into saucepan. Cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until heated through but not boiling. Pour Lemon Filling into Tart Shells. Set aside on rimmed baking sheet to cool to room temperature.

5. Prepare Meringue: In clean metal bowl, combine egg whites and cream of tartar. With electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy.

Gradually add sugar while continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.

Heat broiler. Spoon Meringue into pastry bag fitted with star tip.

Pipe 3 lines evenly spaced in one direction, then pipe 3 lines in other direction on top of each tart. (Use remaining meringue for another purpose or discard.) Place tarts 4 inches from heat source and broil until meringue is lightly browned. Cool tarts several minutes; remove from pans; place on serving platter and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Country Living/November/91 Scanned & fixed by DP and GG

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